Improvement in harvesters



Improvement in Has'vfesters.

Patented Jan. 30, 1872.

llllll ///1'1'ii`\\\ i il 11 l`lB| IHBII Xwwwe w THOMAS PLUMLEIGH, OF DUNDEE, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 123,291, dated January 30, 1872.

SPECIFICATION. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS PLUMLEIGH, of Dundee, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reapers and Mowers and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled' in the art to which my invention appertains to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing t'ormin gpart of this Specification, in which- Figure l is a general plan or top view of the frame-work of a reaper or mower with my improvements attached thereto. Fig. 2 is an inverted transverse longitudinal section of a portion of the machine, cutting the driving-wh eel through the center, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the driving-wheel taken on the line :v a; drawn across Fig. 2.

Similar letters ofreference indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

My invention relates to an improvement in the mechanism for imparting a reciprocating motion to the sickle without the employment of the ordinary system of gear-wheels, thereby simplifying the general con struction of the machine and requiring less power to operate the same; and to that end consists in the construction and arrangement of the devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing, A represents the frame, which may be as shown, or may be of any suitable form that will receive the operating parts of the machine. B and B are the drivingwheels, mounted upon a transverse shaft, U, secured in bearings a adiixed to the lower side of the frame. The said wheel B is loosely ntted upon the shaft, and wheel B is firmly attached thereto, thereby rendering the machine capable of being turned to any desired angle when in operation. The rim of the wheel B is so formed as to project inward beyond the spokes toward the center of the frame, and is provided with an annular groove or channel, b, formed within its inner periphery. Within said groove or channel is secured a system of anti-friction wheels, D, which are arranged at graduated distances and transversely across the said groove, as shown in Fie'. 2. The bearings of the said wheels D are firmly secured within the anges of the main wheel, .upon

each side ofthe groove, and so arranged as to allow the said anti-friction wheelsto fully revolve thereon. Firmly affixed to the outer side of the side piece A of the frame is a box, E, within which is loosely fitted a slide, F, the center of which is in line horizontally with the center ofthe axis of the main wheel and parallel to its diameter, and is provided at its center with a mortise, d, through which the axle of the main wheel passes, the length of said mortise being equal to the movement of the slide. The ends of said slide are cut away or formed at an angle of about forty-rivedegrees to its sides, and are so arranged as to engage or come in contact with the peripheryr of wheels D as the main driving-wheel is rotated, thereby imparting to the said slide a longitudinal reciprocating movement, the length of the said slide being such as to allow the wheel D upon one side ofthe main wheel to pass its end as its opposite end is forced between the adjacent wheels D D upon the opposite side of the main wheel. Firmly affixed to the lower side of the slide is a bolt, Gr, extending downward through a slot or mortise, c, cut through the lower side of box E, and upon which bolt is loosely titted a sleeve, j', secured in a mortise, g, cut through the end of the vibrating L shaped arm H, which is pivoted to the crossgirt of the frame. .To said arm is attached the connecting-rod communicating with the sickle, not shown in the drawing.

It will be observed that the mortise g of arm H is slightly elongated and the sleeve cnt away to tit the same laterally, the object being to admit of a free and easy vibratory movement ofthe arm without loss of motion.

The operation of my said machine is as follows: Upon being drawn forward a rotary movement is imparted to wheel B', which brings wheels D in contact with and against slide F, moving the same alternately backward and forward, thereby imparting a vibratory movement to arm H, by which a reciprocating movement is communicated to the sickle.

I am aware that wheels have heretofore been constructed with a series of cams inside their peripheries for operating an oscillating bar to give motion to the sickle, and do not claim the right to such invention; but

Having thus described the nature and object of myinvention, what I claim as new, and The foregoing specification of my invention desire to secure by Letters Patent, issigned by me this 26th day of June, A. D. 1871.

In combina-tion with Wheel B provided with THOMAS PLUMLEIGH. i

' anti'friction Wheels D, the slide F provided with slot d through which the axle passes, Witnesses:

box E, bolt G, sleeve j', and arm H, all ar- N. C. GRIDLEY,

ranged to operate together, substantially as N. H. SHERBURNE.

and for the piupose described. 

